 | POWERGEN CUP GROUP D Dragons (20) 33: Tries: Black, Hall, Penalty try. Cons: Warlow 3. Pens: Warlow 4. Worcester (10) 10: Tries: Havili. Cons: Brown. Pens: Brown. Att: tbc |
Newport-Gwent Dragons ended their Powergen Cup campaign on a high with a comfortable victory over Worcester. But the win came at a cost after wing Gareth Wyatt dislocated his elbow and now faces two months on the sidelines.
Neither side were able to qualify for the semi-finals, but Dragons fly-half Craig Warlow starred with 18 points.
Adam Black and Andrew Hall barged over for the Dragons, who were also awarded a penalty try, with Worcester replying with a fine try from wing Aisea Havili.
The Dragons eased into a 17-0 lead after only 19 minutes but then took their foot off the pedal as they squandered further opportunities and relied on the boot of Warlow, who kicked four penalties and three conversions.
Prop Black got the first Dragons try after Wales lock Ian Gough won a line-out and then Scotland forward Hall barged over from close in.
Worcester retaliated through a brilliant solo try by winger Havili, who shot away on a 70-yard run after a Dragons scrum was wheeled.
Fly-half James Brown, who landed an earlier penalty, converted.
But the Dragons had the final word with an injury-time penalty try, awarded when Worcester illegally brought down a scrum as they were pushed back over their own line.
The victory proved an ideal dress rehearsal for the Dragons for their daunting back-to-back Heineken cup matches against Munster.
But the match was marred by the injury to Wyatt, the Dragons' leading try scorer, who will be out until the new year.
Newport Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner:
"I'm sure (fly-half) Craig Warlow should have played for Wales before now.
"Craig is a good player. He's got everything really: running ability and he can pass, he kicks with ease and he's a good goal-kicker as well.
"But he needs to play with a bit more consistency, he needs to crack the whip and manage the team."
Dragons: Hinton; Wyatt, Tuipulotu, Williams, Fussell; Warlow, Cooper; Black, S Jones, Robinson, Griffiths, Gough, Hall, Ringer, Bryan (capt).
Replacements: Brown, Maddocks, R Thomas, Forster, Breeze, Bryant, Smith.
Worcester: Lennard; Havili, Rasmussen (capt), Tucker, Oduoza; Brown, Powell; Mullan, Hickie, McDonald, Collier, O'Donaghue, Mason, Tuamoheloa, Horstmann.
Replacements: Clueniss, N Black, Blaze, Harding, Runciman, Whatling, Delport.
Referee: Neil Ballard (WRFU).